Bonds of Beast

The Island

My lips crack as I lick them, tasting nothing but the sting of salt and dryness. The small pool of water I drank from wasn't enough—it barely took the edge off. I know I need more. I can almost feel the blood draining from me, my life slipping away. The dizziness intensifies, making it harder to focus. I start to see shapes in the trees again—figures moving, watching—but I can't tell if they're real or just hallucinations borne from the desperation that grips me.

I collapse again, face-first into the sand. The shade from the trees offers some relief, but the island feels desolate, almost sinister. The silence presses down on me, heavy and suffocating, broken only by the occasional distant cry of some unseen animal. I know that lying here is as good as giving up, but my body refuses to obey. Every part of me wants to stop, to close my eyes, to let the world fade away. It would be so easy. The temptation to just lie there, to let the darkness consume me, tugs at my mind, but something won't let me go just yet.

I force my eyes open again, my vision swimming in and out of focus. The landscape before me shifts, the ground seeming to move beneath me like the ocean waves that nearly drowned me. My fingers dig into the dirt once more, pulling myself forward with all the strength I have left. Just a little further. I don't know where I'm going, but anywhere is better than staying here, waiting for death.

Then I hear something—a rustle in the trees. I freeze, my heart lurching in my chest. My vision is blurry, but I strain my eyes to see. A figure? A shape moving between the shadows? I blink, trying to focus, but the lines between reality and hallucination are blurring fast. It could be help, or it could be something far worse.

I open my mouth to call out, but my throat is so dry that no sound comes out. Panic seizes me—what if I'm too late? What if whoever—or whatever—is out there doesn't see me? I try again, forcing the words through cracked lips.

"Help..." My voice is barely a whisper, raspy and weak, but it's all I can manage.

The rustling stops. Silence. My heart pounds in my ears, the anticipation unbearable. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I see movement again. Something is coming closer.

For a brief, terrifying moment, I think it might be the shark again, come to finish what it started, but no... this is different. It's smaller, quieter. My breathing quickens, fear flooding me as the shape approaches.

And then, just before the darkness swallows me again, I see it clearly—a person, or something like it, stepping out of the trees.

Am I saved? Or have I just found a new nightmare?


****************

The humid air clung to Innana's skin like a heavy, suffocating shroud, a stark contrast to the crisp, clean air of the life she barely remembered. She lay sprawled on a bed of damp leaves, the scent of wet earth and decaying foliage thick in her nostrils. Overhead, a lush canopy of vibrant green leaves filtered the sunlight into soft beams, casting flickering shadows on the jungle floor. It was a strange, living symphony—an overwhelming blend of rustling leaves, the incessant hum of insects, and distant animal calls echoing through the dense forest.

Slowly, Innana stirred, her body stiff and sore as her senses sluggishly came back to life. Something felt terribly... wrong. Her mind, muddled and foggy, held fragmented memories of a world far removed from this one—of towering concrete structures, the unrelenting pace of city life, and the mechanical hum of civilization. Yet now, she was in this wild, untamed place, so vividly alive and ancient. The contrast made her stomach churn.

She blinked, struggling to focus as her vision swam in and out of clarity. Through the haze, she became aware of a figure leaning over her. A woman, her face lined with age and wisdom, peered down at her with a mixture of concern and guarded caution. Her skin was bronzed by the sun, her clothes worn and earthy, blending seamlessly with the jungle around her. Despite her weathered appearance, the woman exuded an almost unnatural calm, as if the very forest obeyed her will. That aura of quiet strength wrapped around Innana, momentarily soothing the storm of confusion and panic within her.